Texas fires 2011

EDEN was engaged with Texas during the spring/summer wildfires, providing updates here and posting the Situation Reports Andy Vestal provided on a regular basis - well into September. Below is a sample of the activity updates...

June 21: Livestock Supply Point records indicate that generous livestock producers across Texas and New Mexico donated approximately 1,844 tons of hay and feed resources to support their peers who were impacted by recent Texas wildfires.

During the past three days numerous additional wildfires 10,000 – 50,000 acres in size have ignited and many are still active today. All LSPs are stood-down at this point but local Animal Issues Committees stand ready to activate them to support impacted livestock producers if necessary.

An update regarding the wildfires can be found on the daily wildfire situation reports (SITREPs), published by the State Operations Center (SOC) for the Governor. These SITREPs can be found at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/sitrepindex.htm

May 3: We received a new SITREP from Texas Extension (see the SITREP page). The LSPs that have stood down since the event began have been removed from the list below.

April 21: During the past 100 days 1,821,086 acres and thousands of miles of fences have burned. The fabric of the rural economies affected by most of the fires is significantly based on livestock (beef and dairy cattle and horses).

Tracking Activity in Texas

The Common Operating Picture (COP) is a Google Earth layer. Click the image to access the Texas Interagency Coordination page, which links to the COP and to Google Earth. Google Earth is a free download.

On this TAMU Wildfires page you will find links to the Google Earth map (Common Operating Picture of the Texas Interagency Coordination Center, shown at right) as well as a very functional map of Active Texas Fires (produced by the Weather Underground).

Wildfire damage assessments continue in impacted counties. Some of these wildfires are still raging and entrance for loss assessment purposes is limited to some extent. - Andy Vestal (TX), April 21)

If you respond to these fires in any way, please let your EDEN state Point of Contact know what you are doing. State POCs will enter activities in the EDEN Response Notes system. Find EDEN POCs and delegates by selecting your state in the State Information drop box at the top right of each page on EDEN.lsu.edu.

Call for Hay, Feed and Fencing

Screenshot of a custom Google Map embedded in the Texas EDEN website (click to go there for the latest map). It is available also at livestocksupplypoints.texaseden.org . Prepared by Treye Rice. 4/22/2011.

There is a huge need in Texas for

feed and hay resources immediately, and

fencing materials in the long run.

County Extension Agents in Texas are familiar with the ICS protocols and are authorized to work directly with donors. Extension is supporting several local Livestock Supply Points for receiving and distribution of donated feed resources.

The sites listed below may be contacted directly. A Google Map of the locations is available on Texas EDEN - click the map for the most up to date information.

If you respond to this call for assistance, or respond to these fires in any way, please let your EDEN state Point of Contact know what you are doing. Find EDEN POCs and delegates by selecting your state in the State Information drop box at the top right of each page on EDEN.lsu.edu.

The EDEN website receives support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture under NIFA/USDA Agreement No. 2012-37620-20217. Earlier support was provided under NIFA/USDA Agreement No. 2009-37620-20106, CSREES/USDA Agreement Nos. 2005-37620-15609, 2004-37620-14644, and 2002-30001-1210, and SPN 98-ESNP-1-0317
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